Hi all. I live in rural TN and have recently had inquiries from friends about baking cakes for them and their families for birthday parties and such. I looked into it, and I*believe* that you can bake in your home kitchen, but you have to take the food safety class, which I oculd do and the rule is no pets in the building where a kitchen is used for home baking. Well, that eliminates using my kitchen since I have a dog that is not-negotiable!

Am I correct in my interpretation? What are other options for kitchens aside from my own?

It's not something I am looking ot do full time or invest a lot of money into a commercial kitchen, but I would love to be able to do a cake a week and be able to sell to friends and friends of friends that have already asked - not have to do it for free!

Thanks,
Stacy

I live in Ohio so things could ( and probably will) be different. The insecptor from the Ohio Dept. Of Agriculture suggested to use the kitchen of a local church if my business got to big for my home. Many church kitchens are empty during the week, so they may rent it to you. Good for you and good for them. You will have to check with the laws in TN.

Jo

Your interpretation is right!!

Do you have a basement or another room that could be turned into a kitchen?

Nope, nowhere else in my house that could be used for baking. I'm near the Mississippi river where basements are a rarity (and basements that don't leak just don't happen, LOL).

I may contact my church to explore that option. Aside from Wednesday nights, most of the weeknights the kitchen is probably empty. And right now I'm only looking at a couple of cakes a month. If I ever decide I want to invest and have a real business, I would look at adding an outbuilding (we live on 1.3 acres) for a kitchen.

Thanks!

Hey, to bake from your home in Tennessee you have to options.

Do you want to be a real business and advertise, if so you have to go through the health department. Whish does mean seperate kitchen an such.

If you want to setup at Farmer's Markets an such, make things and then sell- not just make when you have a order, then you go through the department of Agriculture. There was a bunch of misunderstanding on the Dept. of Agri. rules, many on here took the class an then found out that it is only for selling to farmers markets and such.

When I spoke to my local health inspector he informed me that as long as I was working by word of mouth, no advertising, just family an friends, then he "they- the state" didn't regulate you.

I hope this helps you. Like I said there was a big mix up when the Dept. of Arg. started this new program. I'll search an see if I can find the posts about it.

Okay, here is the post.

http://forum.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=397563&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=15

Good Luck!

I am also in TN and have understood as long as you aren't advertising and are just doing it for friends and family, you are okay. I printed off the requirements for a home kitchen and it was more than I could do in my apartment (of course), so I am not advertising and just doing them for friends and such right now. I never do more than a couple of paid cakes per week, so I don't think it's a big deal.

I called my county Health Department and left a message for the guy I need to talk to. I guess we'll see where I get and I'll let you all know what the rule is in my county.

I think being in a rural county will probably work to my benefit on this one.

I just got off the phone with the county health department inspector. He told me the good old "catering" from home on an "occasional" basis throughout the month doesn't require licensing or inspection by him - he told me to check with the dept of Ag, but we know it doesn't fall under them either... And of course he added the "if you start advertising, then that would change everything".

So for now, I am OK to take orders from friends and actually charge them for my ingredients and the time it takes to make their special cakes. YAY!

Did I mention ?

Good to know. I am also in rural Tn and don't have the ability to get a commercial kitchen.

Thanks for the info.

I'm so glad you checked on that. I live in Coffee County and I was going to do the same thing, now I don't have to and I know I'm okay for now. All of mine are word of mouth through friends and family.